People are being urged to protect frontline emergency services as Hull Royal Infirmary comes under increasing pressure today.

With snow predicted for large parts of the north, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is urging people to use alternatives to the A&E department at Hull Royal Infirmary if they require medical assistance.

GP surgeries, the GP walk-in centre at Wilberforce Health Centre in Story Street, Hull city centre, the urgent care centre at Bransholme, minor injury units in the East Riding and pharmacists are open to help people.

People can also call NHS 111 for advice and information or visit www.staywellthiswinter.co.uk to find out which services are available in their area today and in the run-up to New Year.

Jonathan Wood, the trust’s director of operations, said: “The hospital is very busy due to a high number of admissions and we are expecting more admissions now because of the inclement weather.

“We really need to focus on genuine emergencies and people most in need of our help today.

“We are asking people to help us and our frontline staff by using alternatives instead of coming to A&E with illnesses and injuries which can be better treated elsewhere.

“Visiting your pharmacist or calling NHS 111 for advice could mean you will avoid the need to travel further for medical attention and using the GP walk-in service or the urgent care centre means you could be seen more quickly than if you come to A&E.”

She was their Christmas miracle, the tiny baby girl covered by her father’s hand.

Ava Curwood was delivered by emergency caesarean section 10 weeks before her due date after she stopped growing in the womb. She weighed just 1lb 7oz.

She was rushed to Hull Women and Children’s Hospital from Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, in Grimsby when she was just two hours old and staff at Hull’s neonatal unit battled for more than a month to save her life.

Now, after celebrating her first birthday on December 19, Ava is a bouncing baby girl of 19lbs 5oz after being discharged by the paediatric team last month.

Baby Ava next to her father’s hand

Mum Briony, 27, said: “I asked if she would survive and they told me to take it hour by hour. Then it was week by week.

“But she was an absolute trooper and, to look at her now, you would never know all she had been through.

“We can’t thank the staff in Hull enough.”

Briony and husband Mike, an oil engineer, tried for a baby for almost two years before they discovered they were expecting Ava.

After a fall in the kitchen when she was 29 weeks pregnant, Briony went to the Grimsby hospital for her baby’s movements to be monitored.

Accompanied by her dad Andy Holmes, she went for a scan which showed her baby had not grown since 21 weeks.

“They told me I’d to prepare to give birth either that day or the next morning,” she said.

“I was excited at first because I thought I was going to see my baby. I didn’t know anything about prematurity as we always had 10lb babies in my family.

“But then I realised it was way too early and I got really scared.”

Whisked up to the labour ward, further monitoring showed Ava was in life-threatening distress and had to be delivered immediately, minutes after Mike arrived at the hospital.

Within two hours of her birth, she was on her way to Hull while her mother recovered from major surgery.

For the next few days, Mike shuttled breast milk from his wife to feed his daughter over the Humber Bridge, staying by his daughter’s beside in Hull where he was originally from and where his family still live.

Briony was eventually reunited with her daughter after four days, when she was well enough to make the journey to Hull.

“She didn’t look like a baby,” she said. “She looked just like a little doll. Her ears hasn’t come out of her head properly.

“We’ve got a photograph of Mike and her entire body fits into the palm of his hand. I kept looking at how tiny she was, wondering how she would ever survive.”

But survive she did. Within 24 hours, Ava was breathing unaided. Within three weeks, she was well enough to be transferred back to Grimsby and then allowed home when she weighed 4lbs 3oz.

Ava has cleared every developmental milestone and was discharged from paediatric services in November. The family has since returned to the neonatal unit to deliver Christmas presents, including tiny babygros for premature babies, as a way of thanking staff.

Her parents told us they planned to mark her first birthday on December 19 with a family party at their home in Curzon Court, Cleethorpes, sure to feature Ava’s favourite Peppa Pig cartoon, and the family intend to spend Christmas with their relatives.

“Last Christmas was absolutely horrible,” said Briony. “This year will be completely different. In fact, I’ve had my tree up since the end of November because I just couldn’t wait for us to begin the celebrations.”

Consultant Dr Chris Wood, the trust’s paediatric clinical director, said: “It’s great to see how well Ava is doing.

“Our dedicated and skilled staff do our absolute best for every baby brought to the unit.

“We are grateful to Ava’s mum and dad for taking the time this Christmas to thank us. We wish them a Merry Christmas and a healthy 2018.”

Starry-eyed and ecstatic: that’s how Healthcare Worker, Elaine Barnicoat, described herself after she and her colleagues on Ward 28 at Castle Hill Hospital received a surprise visit this morning.

The cardiac ward has been named  Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s most festive ward of 2017 and earned themselves temporary custody of the Dr Hermon Cup.

Staff were on the verge of tears as the surprise was sprung, and cameras from ITV Calendar and the Hull Daily Mail were there to catch the moment on film.

Ward Sister, Liz Robinson, wasn’t on duty this morning, but received a phone call during the visit to pass on the news, and described it as ‘fantastic’.

Competition was fierce this year, with numerous wards and departments scoring highly across both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill, but  Ward 28 just pipped their rivals with their giant letters to Santa, Christmas carols performed for patients in both word and sign language, and special gift bags for every patient on Christmas day.

Runners up this year were 2016’s winners, Ward 11 (Castle Hill) who turned their domain into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, complete with everlasting gobstopper machine and lickable wallpaper.

In joint third place were Radiotherapy at the Queen’s Centre (renamed Reindeer Therapy for the festive season) and Ward 6 at Hull Royal Infirmary. The Radiotherapy Team turned Linear Accelerators into reindeer and set up a special festive postbox for patients, while Ward 6 adopted the theme of ‘The Grinch’, by creating a Gastro Grinch for patient education and getting patients involved in making decorations.

The Dr Hermon Cup dates back to 1938, when the then-famous radiologist presented the shiny silver trophy to the best decorated ward in the old Anlaby Road Hospital.

For reasons unknown, the cup then became ‘lost’ alongside other photos and artefacts in the hospital archive, until it was found last year by Mr Colin Vize, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon.  The trophy was dusted off, polished up, and used as an incentive for staff to go the extra festive mile for patients.

Now in its second year, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s festive ward competition continues to bring teams together and create festive cheer for patients who find themselves in hospital at Christmastime.

Mr Vize, who is also a member of the competition judging panel, says:

“No one wants to be ill in hospital at this time of year, and it can be hard for staff working over Christmas too as they can miss out on valuable time with friends and family.

“Our competition is designed as a bit of fun, to bring people together and to raise some smiles among staff, visitors and patients, but it also has other benefits.

“We were very clear that we’re looking for more than just decorations; when we were judging, we looked at how else teams have created festive cheer for people and it’s amazing the lengths some teams have gone to. Staff have got patients involved in making decorations, they’ve hosted visits from carol singers, shopped on behalf of patients who aren’t able to do so themselves, and even renamed the radiotherapy machines after Santa’s reindeer.

“All of this might seem a bit light-hearted, but for someone who’s spending this particular time of year in hospital, it can really help to boost their spirits; helping them to pass the time, encouraging them to talk and interact with other people, and maybe even contributing to a quicker recovery.”

A mum has told how her three year-old son was saved by hospital staff after he developed a life-threatening condition.

Freddie Smith underwent two emergency operations after part of his intestine telescoped into another section, putting his life in danger.

Now looking forward to Christmas after being released from hospital, Freddie’s mum Leanne, 32, has thanked staff at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for saving her son.

“They were absolutely amazing,” she said. “They cared for him like they loved him rather than him just being a random little boy.

“One nurse even phoned in on her days off to see how he was in the early days when he was really, really ill.

“Every single person who dealt with us was fantastic.”

Leanne, an Asda delivery driver, went into son Freddie’s bedroom at their home in Ceylon Street, east Hull, on Friday, November 24, to wake him up for nursery.

However, she found him lying upside down on his bed covered in thick black vomit.

Thinking her son had a simple sickness bug, she cleaned him up and changed him before he started passing blood.

Terrified, she dialled 999 and an ambulance rushed Freddie to Hull Royal Infirmary’s paediatric emergency department.

“He was limp and floppy,” said Leanne. “He was lifeless and it was terrifying.”

She made a frantic phone call to husband Phil, working away from home as a slinger banksman, and he began the five-hour journey back to Hull while Leanne’s mum and dad came to the hospital to be with her.

With no improvement in his condition, Freddie had an x-ray and then an ultrasound which showed intussusception, normally found in babies aged three to 18 months.

Intussusception is when part of the intestine telescopes or folds in on itself, causing severe abdominal pain as the bowel walls press on one another.

Three hours after discovering her seriously ill son, Leanne watched him wheeled into the hospital’s operating theatre for two-hour surgery.

However, Freddie’s condition failed to improve and a further x-ray revealed intussusception had occurred on the other side of his body and he required more surgery.

Leanne said: “He had wires everywhere. He had gone from being my perfectly happy and healthy little boy to being a child who couldn’t even sit up.

“We just kept thinking what were we going to do and what was going to happen to him.”

Doctors believed the problem was caused by inflamed lymph nodes caused by an infection in Freddie’s body so started him on broad spectrum antibiotics to tackle the infection.

And under the watchful eyes of staff on Acorn Ward, Freddie began the first steps on the road to recovery.

Eight days later, he was allowed back home to east Hull and is now looking forward to a visit from Father Christmas.

Leanne said: “I stayed with him in hospital every minute of the day and night. Staff were just so caring and kind to all of us.

“We had already bought him tonnes of presents but we’ve bought him even more now. He’s getting back to being himself now and we’re just so pleased he’s still here with us.”

A mother is thanking hospital staff who saved her and her baby son after she developed a life-threatening condition.

Caroline Latus, 35, was rushed to hospital when she was 32 weeks’ pregnant and staff at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital realised she had developed severe preeclampsia.

She underwent an emergency caesarean section and son Zach was born eight weeks early weighing just 2lb 7oz.

Now, Caroline and husband Will, 31, are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas with Zach after staff saved both his and his mum’s life.

“I’m just so grateful both Zach and I are still here,” said Caroline.

“The consultant told me later that if they had delayed giving me an emergency section, they could have lost either Zach or me, or both of us.

“I cannot praise the staff on the ward, in intensive care and in the neonatal unit enough for all they did for us.”

Caroline, who owns a web design business, and Will, who runs a gym in Chanterlands Avenue with his brothers, discovered they were expecting their first child on Boxing Day last year.

However, the 20-week scan revealed their baby had a growth restriction condition and Caroline went through a series of test and attended growth scan appointments every fortnight.

On July 14, Caroline had gone for a walk on a hot summer evening with Will but felt unwell when she returned to their home in Hessle.

She said: “I was suffering heart burn in the afternoon, during the evening the pain worsened so I decided to go to bed early but as soon as I laid down, I couldn’t breathe very well. I knew something wasn’t right and started to have cold shivers.

“I couldn’t reach my phone so had to wait for Will to come to bed to help me. We called the hospital and they said to come in straight away.”

Preeclampsia normally affects women in the second half of their pregnancies and early symptoms include high blood pressure and protein in urine. It can also cause severe headaches, problems with vision, severe heartburn, excessive weight gain caused by fluid retention and a sudden increase in oedema or swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands.

If untreated, it can lead to convulsions, a liver and blood clotting disorder or a stroke, putting both the baby and the mother’s lives in danger.

Staff at Hull Woman and Children’s Hospital ordered blood tests and discovered her upper abdominal pain was a result of a deranged liver. The consultant was so concerned about Caroline’s deterioration that he arranged for an emergency section before the results from a second round of tests were known.

Zach was born shortly after 5am on July 15, weighing just 2lbs 7oz, and was whisked off to the neonatal unit where highly skilled staff began the battle to save him.

Caroline also faced her own battle for life and was taken across the footbridge to Hull Royal’s intensive care unit for specialist treatment.

Although Will was able to take photographs of their newborn son, it was 34 hours before Caroline was well enough to be taken over to the neonatal unit to meet Zach.

“I remember being wheeled across the footbridge and just bursting into tears because I was finally going to meet my son,” she said.

Staff in the neonatal unit helped Caroline to help Zach despite the wires and feeding tubes and she was able to have vital “skin to skin” contact with her son.

“It was just magical,” she said. “There were so many really poorly babies in the unit and I was just so relieved to have him with us.”

Zach spent three nights in the high dependency unit, one in the step-down “blue room” and the next five weeks in the special care baby unit until he was well enough to go home, weighing 4lbs.

Now 7lbs 2oz and five months old, Zach has had his final neonatal check and has been given the all-clear, with no complications linked to his prematurity.

As a thank you, Caroline and Will are keen to raise money for Hull’s Neonatal ward where Zach was a resident for 6 weeks to help other premature babies and families. Will is planning his first triathlon Ironman 70.3 challenge in Majorca in May with his uncle Sam to raise money for the unit. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/zach-latus if you would like to contribute to his cause.

Caroline said: “We could have been looking at a completely different scenario this Christmas if staff hadn’t acted as quickly as they did when I was rushed to hospital.

“Zach is here and doing well, it wasn’t what you expect for a first pregnancy but it hasn’t put us off and we’re hoping to give him a brother or a sister one day.”

Warnings about overindulgence during the festive season have become as much a part of Christmas tradition as tinsel and mince pies.

However, for thousands of people in Hull and the East Riding, a bigger risk to their health is not eating enough.

Malnutrition costs the NHS almost £20bn a year, more than the £16bn spent on tackling obesity and about 15 per cent of the total health and social care budget.

And around one-third of patients admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital each year are suffering malnutrition.

Specialist dietitian Alice Hanning said: “A lot of people can’t eat around Christmas if they are unwell and it can be very upsetting for them.

“What we say to family and friends is ‘little and often’.

“Instead of overwhelming people with huge plates of food, use a smaller plate so people can go back for seconds if they’re able rather than be daunted by a massive plate of food they know they have no chance of tackling.”

With 153, 370 patients admitted in 2016/17, more than 51,000 people admitted to the trust’s hospitals were undernourished.

Every patient admitted to the trust undergoes regular screening for malnutrition and food diaries are kept to show how much a patient is managing to eat each day.

Patients are offered extra snacks and high calorie milk shakes and smoothies if they are considered at risk of malnutrition.

The dieticians, based at both Castle Hill and Hull Royal, encourages these patients and their families to enrich food by using full-fat products such as full cream milk and yoghurts instead of low-fat alternatives.

Cheese can be added to soups, mashed potatoes, vegetables and pasta dishes and sugar, jam, honey or milk to porridge, breakfast cereals or puddings.

Good snacks for people who require a higher calorie intake include sandwiches, fruit cake, nuts, crisps, cereals, crackers and cheese and toast and a topping such as beans, scrambled egg or butter.

Indulging in foods you fancy and trying not to miss or skip meals can make a big difference to a person’s recovery after surgery.

Frozen ready meals or keeping your store cupboard filled with basics such as tinned meat, tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables, hot chocolate, long life milk or cereals is a good idea if you know you’re going into hospital.

But if food preparation is too much, consider a meal delivery service or ask friends and family to help in shopping, preparing and cooking meals.

Alice said: “We’re surrounded by food at this time of year and when you can’t eat, it can send you on a downward spiral and lead to depression.

“Sometimes, people can ‘celebrate’ Christmas in January when they’re feeling better and have recovered more but, if that’s not possible, going by the ‘little and often’ mantra can make all the difference.”

People can visit www.malnutritionselfscreening.org/self-screening.html  to use the screening tool developed by charitable association BAPEN to find out if they are at risk of malnutrition.

TIPS TO BULK UP YOUR FESTIVE DIET

Add cream to your mince pie

Add mayonnaise to turkey sandwiches

Add butter and cheese to vegetables and mashed potato

Eat plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods

Eat two or three portions of high protein foods every day such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts or beans

Eat or drink two to three portions of dairy foods every day such as cheese, milk and yoghurt or non-dairy alternatives like soya, almond or coconut milk.

Have at least six to eight high-calorie drinks such as malted drinks, hot chocolate, milky coffee, smoothies and milkshakes a day. Sugary drinks such as fruit juice, fizzy drinks or squash can provide extra energy.

Eat ‘little and often’ – try a small snack between meals and a dessert after lunch and evening meal but avoid having drinks just before meals to avoid feeling too full to eat

Avoid low fat/diet versions of foods and drinks for example skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, low fat yoghurt, sugar free drinks or watery soups

Hospital bosses are launching a hard-hitting campaign to prevent people turning up at Hull’s accident and emergency department with festive hangovers and winter bugs.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will unveil its “A&E: It’s serious stuff” campaign this week to ensure the department at Hull Royal Infirmary is reserved for life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

Bus advertising, billboards and posters will appear across Hull with slogans including “Give A&E a break. Not a sprain” and “A&E. That’s emergency care. Not emergency contraceptives” in the next week.

Posters will also appear in pub toilets with the message “Being drunk isn’t an accident. It’s not an emergency either”  to target drinkers visiting A&E with hangovers or the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.

Trust chief executive Chris Long said: “It’s no secret that A&Es all over the country are under pressure all year round but that pressure ramps up even further over winter.

“We try to educate people on alternative services and highlight the pressure our department is under but still, we get people turning up at our A&E every day with sprains, colds and even hangovers.

“We need people to realise this has serious consequences.  If our doctors and nurses are treating people who could have gone elsewhere, they’re not there for those who really need them.

“Put simply, coming to A&E with anything other than an emergency puts lives at risk.

“This year, we need people to heed our message. Our A&E is for the serious stuff. We need you to go somewhere else if it’s not an emergency.”

The trust is anticipating a surge in seasonal illnesses, falls and injuries over the next few weeks as winter begins to bite.

The campaign reminds people of alternative services including the GP walk-in centre at Wilberforce Health Centre in Hull city centre, the urgent care centre at Bransholme Health Centre and pharmacists and minor injuries units in the East Riding. Visit www.staywellthiswinter.co.uk for advice and information on services, including opening hours,

Trust data shows people most likely to attend A&E when they could be treated elsewhere include those who wrongly believe they need stitches or an x-ray, which can both be performed at the urgent care centre at Bransholme, and those who are normally healthy but are suffering from colds or flu.

The campaign will target people living in the seven Hull postcodes accounting for 60 per cent of all A&E attendances. It will also be aimed predominantly at those aged 18 to 50, responsible for more than two-thirds of attendances.

Parent packs will be handed out at schools listing common injuries and illnesses in children and the best place to receive treatment quickly.

“Pub packs” including beer mats and advice to staff will also be given out. And Sunday League teams will receive information packs on where players should be taken if they are injured on the pitch.

As well as the work to prevent people with minor illnesses and injuries turning up at Hull’s A&E in the first place, the campaign will continue in Hull Royal Infirmary with stickers and posters in the department stating “One in 10 people shouldn’t be here. Which one are you?”

The trust has produced the campaign with award-winning marketing firm Strawberry following the major success of the “Remarkable People, Extraordinary Place” recruitment campaign.

Pharmacy staff are going the extra mile to help Hull’s homeless this year by collecting warm clothing and food at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

Staff are donating items to a reverse Advent calendar every day until December 24 to make a difference to the lives of homeless people living on the city’s streets.

With temperatures plunging below zero this week, hats, scarves and gloves were already handed over to “Raise the Roof”, a Hull project providing essentials and a bed for the night for homeless people.

“Raise the Roof” was selected because senior pharmacy assistant  Julie Kirke, based at the dispensary at Castle Hill, volunteers for the charity every week.

Boxes labelled 1 to 24 were set up at the dispensaries at both hospitals and staff were encouraged to buy an extra item along with their usual shopping to donate to the charity.

Senior pharmacy technician Anna Steele said staff working in the dispensary at Hull Royal had responded well to the appeal.

She said: “We’ve got posters on the wall about what people can bring in so they’ve been bringing in hats, scarves, gloves, food and toiletries.

“Our boxes are getting full and we’ll be taking them to the charity on Christmas Eve.”

Deputy chief pharmacist Paul O’Brien, based at Castle Hill, said this was the first year the team had held a reverse Advent calendar collection after raising money for Hull charity Paul for Brain Recovery.

Paul said: “There has been an excellent response from staff to the appeal. Our boxes are already overflowing at Castle Hill and we’ve still got 10 days to Christmas Eve.

“I’ve been so impressed by the team. We’ve done a really good thing here.”

Two hospital wards at Hull Royal Infirmary are currently closed to new admissions due to the winter vomiting bug, Norovirus. Patients on wards 70 and 90 have been affected, prompting the temporary closures in order to limit the spread of the virus.

Greta Johnson, Lead Infection Prevention & Control Nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“It is not unusual for hospitals to experience cases of gastroenteritis, such as Norovirus, at this time of year. These types of virus often originate in the community and can spread quickly when a number of people spend time in close proximity, such as in schools or on a hospital ward.

“As a temporary measure, in order to try and prevent further spread of the virus, we are asking people only to visit Wards 70 and 90 at this time if absolutely necessary, as Norovirus can be passed on easily.”

Norovirus is usually quite mild, lasting for about 48 hours, however people who have had symptoms can remain infectious for a further 48 hours after the symptoms have gone away.

Patients, visitors and staff who have experienced diarrhoea or vomiting are all being urged to stay away from hospital until they have been symptom-free for 48 hours to help minimise the spread of the virus to others.

Anyone experiencing sickness, vomiting or diarrhoea should first seek advice from their local pharmacy, or telephone their local GP or NHS 111. Attending the GP surgery or Emergency Department is strongly discouraged as this risks spreading the illness to other people who may already be more susceptible to infection.

Regular, thorough handwashing, especially after using the toilet, can also help to reduce the risk of viruses being passed on to others.

Hospitals in East Yorkshire are taking a novel approach in a bid to attract staff into hard to fill vacancies.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, covering Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, has launched a ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme similar to those used by retailers.

Existing members of staff will be paid up to £500 if they are able to help fill roles which are traditionally difficult to recruit to, such as qualified nursing posts, Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs), and Therapy Radiographers.

Under the terms of the scheme, the referring member of staff receives £100 if the friend or relative they have recommended is successfully recruited and stays in post for three months. A further £400 is payable after the new recruit has been in post for six months and has successfully passed their probationary period.

Simon Nearney, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development for the Trust says:

“Like every other NHS organisation across the country, we want to attract the best candidates. Nationally, there are shortages of staff in key areas such as theatres, nursing and therapies, where we are all competing for the same people.

“In order for us to provide the best possible care we can to our patients, we need to be appropriately staffed, so our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme will be piloted initially for six months as a means of helping us recruit to posts which we’ve traditionally struggled to fill.

“While there is, of course, a financial implication for us in the first instance, if this scheme is successful, it will actually benefit us longer term as it will mean we’re spending less on agency and temporary staff and creating a more stable workforce.”

Simon adds:

“We’ve done a lot over the past couple of years to try and attract people to Hull to work, most notably through our award-winning Remarkable People, Extraordinary Place campaign, and we’re also doing a lot of work with schools and colleges to try and grow our own local healthcare staff of the future.

“For now, we need to look at different ways of attracting the professionals we need and our staff, with their enthusiasm and their recommendations, are the best asset we have to help us do this.”